K-9 Ricky Helps To Apprehend

Suspected Oneonta Drug Dealer

ONEONTA – K-9 Ricky and his handler, Sheriff’s Investigator Keith Sheldon, brought down a suspected drug dealer trying to flee the scene of a raid at his home early Wednesday morning.

Harry Edmond, 45, of 34 Maple St., was arrested after members of the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Bureau, along with D.A. investigators, DEA special agents and patrol and detective bureau members from the Oneonta Police Department executed the no-knock narcotics search warrant at 8 a.m. Wednesday.  Edmond tried to flee scene through a secondary door, but was detained by K-9 Ricky and Investigator Sheldon. 

Seized in the raid were nine and a half pounds of processed high grade marijuana, valued at $28,500, small quantity of crack cocaine, and electronic digital scale, an electronic stun gun and $16, 852.

Edmond was arrested by investigators and charged with the following felonies: criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree.  He was also charged with the misdemeanor crimes of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

Edmond was arraigned by City Court Judge Richard W. McVinney and remanded to the OCCF on $20,000 bail returnable in the City Court on Jan. 27.  If convicted of the felony drug charges, Edmond faces up to nine years in prison.

District Attorney John M. Muehl and Chief ADA Michael F. Getman are prosecuting the case.